mayers



L. MAYERS.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED IUNE I5, 1916.

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L. MAYERS.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1916.

1,327,345. Patented Jan. 6, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

% v I $313M: atto'ze-i AW m LEWIS MAYERS,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

INTERNAL-CUMBUSTIC N ENGINE.

v Application filed June 15, 191.6.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lnwis Marcus, a citizen of the United States,residing at 535 West 151st street, New York, in the county of New Yorkand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines and has particularapplication to an engine wherein a relatively heavy fuel, such askerosene oil or the like, may be used.

In the present instance it is my purpose to provide an internalcombustion engine, operating upon the two-stroke cycle, which is of suchconstruction as to obviate the loss of any portion of the freshcombustible charge through the exhaust port of the on gine, therebyeliminating a disadvantageous condition which exists in all two-cycleengines wherein the fuel is inspired together with the air. 7

Another object of the invention is to insure a complete and positivescavenging of the combustion chamber at all speeds of the engine.

Furthermore, I propose to provide means whereby the degree of expansionpermitted to the burning charge may be varied inde pendently of thedegree of compression to which the original charge was subjected.

An additional object of the invention is the provision of an enginewherein the mixtures of air and the less volatile hydrocarbons, kerosenefor instance, may be warmed and agitated while in the compressed state,and thus thoroughly mixed prior to being inspired and ignited in thecylinder of the engine.

I also propose to provide an internal combustion engine which willembody the desired features of simplicity and durability in itsconstruction coupled with economy and eliiciency in operation.

With the above recited objects and others of a similar nature in view myinvention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement ofparts set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1, is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section ofone form of engine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2, is a vertical cross sectional view taken through one of thecylinders of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 6, 1920. Serial No. 103,899.

engine, certain of the parts being shown in elevation.

Fig. 3, is-a top plan view of the engine shown in Fig. 1.

F ig. 4:, is a diagrammatic view showing the operating cycles of theengine, that is both the working and pumping cycles.

It will be understood that the construction shown herein is merely forthe purpose of illustrating one specific form of engine by means ofwhich the invention and its PI1I1C1-- ples may be practised, andtherefore, the invention is by no means limited to the particular formof engine shown.

Furthermore, while the description herein. has reference particularly toan engine operating upon gasolene or other volatile fuel it may beequally well applied to heavy oil combustion, in such instance thepumping cylinder merely supplying air to the working cylinder, the oilfuel being separately injected by the compressed air in its passage fromthe pumping to the working cylinders, thus eliminating the separateinjection air reservoir now required on oil engines.

Before entering into a detailed description of my invention I will statethat it is embodied in the form of a multi-cylinder engine wherein atleast three cylinders are employed. As in the conventional two-cycleengine each cylinder embraces both a working and a pumping chamber, thepiston doing work in both chambers at each stroke.

The functions performed in the working chamber are as follows: When atits extreme inward position the piston is in close apposition to thecylinder head, all products of combustion or air in the chamber havingbeen completely expelled. During the first portion of its outward stroke(the extent of such portion being determined by the number of cylindersas hereinafter set forth) a fresh charge of any fluid combustiblemixture is forced, already compressed by means hereinafter described,into the space between the cylinder head and the outward moving piston.As soon as this portion of the stroke is completed the charge is ignitedand the remaining portion of the outward stroke is the power stroke. Thereturn, or inward stroke, is devoted completely to the expulsion of theproducts of combustion. Upon its completion. the cycle described isimmediately repeated. i Y

The functions which are meanwhile per formed in the pumping chamber aras follows: During the outward stroke of the piston a charge ofcombustible fluid mixture is inspired into the pumping chamber. Duringthe major portion of the return or inward stroke the charge iscompressed in such chamber, but during the remaining portion of suchreturn stroke, it is forced into the working chamber of that one of theother cylinders, in which, during the same interval, the working pistonis beginning its outward or intake-power stroke, as above outlined.

Thus, from each cylinder, at the end of the return or exhaust stroketherein, there is simultaneously being forced from its pumping chamber ahighly compressed fresh charge into the working chamber of some othercylinder, the last of such cylinders in turn transferring the chargefrom its pumping chamber to the working chamber of the first cylinder,thus enabling the cycle of explosions to be repeated indefinitely.

The inlet and exhaust ports of each cylinder may be controlled by anyform of valve, whether sliding or seating. As, however, the design ofthe engine aims at as complete a scavenging as possible of the productsof combustion, (by bringing the piston in as close apposition aspossible to the cylinder head), a form of valve construction ispreferable which requires no pockets in the cylinder wall-as the Knightsleeve-valve or the in-head puppet valve. Should the puppet valve beused, the cams for valve actuation may be mounted directly on thecrank-shaft, obviating a separate cam shaft, as indicated in Fig. 2.

In the present instance I have shown and described my invention asembodied in a sixcylinder engine although it will of course beunderstood that it is applicable to engines having a greater or lessernumber of cylinders than that shown herein and as will he hereinafterapparent.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail the letter Aindicates the crank case of the engine while B indicates the enginecrank mounted in suitable bearings C. Upon the crank case are mountedsix cylinders which are designated by the numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6and are fired in this sequence, and referring to Fig. 1 and consideringthe cylinders from left to right of the drawing it will be seen thatthey are arranged in order as follows: 16-25-3-4, this arrangement beingadopted for convenience and compactness. Each cylinder embodies a loweror pumping chamber 10 and an upper or working chamber 11. Each cylinderis also equipped with a step piston P embodying a section of relativelysmall cross diameter shown at 12and which works in the working chamber,and a section of relatively large diameter shown at 13 and whichoperates in the pumping chamber, a

piston rod 14: connecting each piston with the crank shaft. As there aresix cylinders in the form of engine shown herein the pistons 14 areconnected to the latter in the relation of 60 degrees apart. The letterD indicates a conventional form of carbureter from which leads a supplyconduit E. From this main supply conduit six branch supply conduits,each as indicated by the numeral 15, lead respectively to the pump ingchambers of the six cylinders, the inlet of the explosive mixture orcharge from each conduit 15 to the working chamber of the cylinder towhich such conduit leads being controlled by a suitable automatic valve16. The working chamber 11 of each cylinder is also provided with asuitable intake port 1? controlled by a valve 17 for admitting theexplosive charge under compression to the working chamber of suchcylinder, and such working chamber is also provided with an exhaust port18 controlled by a valve 18 for permitting the escape of the exhaust ofthe explosive charge, these inlet and exhaust valves of the workingchamber being mechanically operated through suitable cams on the crankshaft and connections between these cams and the valves. As beforestated, the unexploded mixture of air and gas or the charge is intendedto be forced under compression from the pumping chamber of one cylinderinto the working chamber of another cylinder in which working chamber itis exploded to give the necessary power stroke to the piston moving inthe cylinder in which the charge is exploded. In the six cylinder engineshown herein I have illustrated one arrangement or manner of connectingthe various cylinders in order to economically accomplish this purpose.Referring to said figure, it will be seen that the pumping chamber ofeach cylinder is provided with an outlet port 19 controlled by anautomatic valve 19', and that from the outlet port 19 of the cylinder 1a conduit 20 leads to the valve controlled intake port 17 of the workingchamber of the cylinder 2. Likewise, from the port 19 of the pumpingchamber of the cylinder 2 a conduit 21 leads to the working chamber ofthe cylinder 3 and in turn, a similar conduit 22 leads from the outletport of the pumping chamber of this cylinder 3 to the inlet port of thework ing chamber of the cylinder t. From the outlet port of the pumpingchamber of the cylinder 1 a conduit 23 leads to the inlet port of theworking chamber of the cylinder 5, and a similar conduit 24: leads fromthe outlet port of the pumping chamber of the cylinder 5 to the inletport of the working chamber of the cylinder 6, while a conduit 25 leadsfrom the pumping chamber of the cylinder 6 to the inlet port of theworking chamber of the cylinder 1. It will, of course, be understoodthat the various inlet and outlet ports of the cylinders are providedwith properly disposed valves as shown, for instance, in the sectionalview of the cylinder 1 in Fig. 1.

In the engine shown the portion of the down-stroke devoted to the intakeof the compressed charge corresponds to 60 degrees of crank shaftrevolution. In the cylinder 1 the piston is at the top center ustentering on its downward stroke and in each of the other cylinders thepiston is 60 degrees in advance of that of the preceding cylinder,numerically considered, so that the piston in the cylinder 6 is nowwithin 60 degrees of completing its upward stroke. In the cylinder 1 theinlet valve 16 is opened and a combustible charge already coinpressed bythe pumping section of the step piston in the cylinder 6 is being forcedunder pressure through the conduit 25 into the working chamber of thecylinder 1 by the action of the piston of the cylinder 6. Simultaneouslythe step piston of the cylinder 1 is inspiring a combustible chargethrough the port controlled by the valve 16 of such cylinder, drawingthis charge into the pumping chamber of the cylinder. In the cylinder 2the piston having completed the portionrpif its stroke devoted tointake,

- that is to say, a portion corresponding to 60 degrees of revolution,both the inlet and exhaust valves of the working chamber of the cylinder2 are closed and ignition is about to occur. In the cylinder 3 acorresponding 60 degree advance has been made,

the explosion has occurred and the piston is traveling on its powerstroke. In the cylinder 4 the exhaust valve is about to open and thepiston about to begin its upward stroke and to compress the combustiblecharge in its pumping chamber preliminary to transferring it to theworking chamber of the cylinder 5 when the piston in this cylinder 5shall reach the end of its upward stroke and begin its down stroke. Inthe cylinder 5 a similar situation exists but with a 60 degree advance.ln the cylinder 6, however, as previously explained, the up movement ofthe pumping piston is just beginning to force the fresh charge alreadycompressed, into the working chamber of the cylinder 1 in which thepiston is just beginning its downward or intake power stroke.

When the compression stroke of the pi ton in the pumping cylindercoincides with its inward or exhaust stroke in the work: ing cylinder,it completes such compression stroke at upper center, and in thecylinder or chamber to which it has transferred the compressed charge,the piston has traveled from upper center a distance corresponding, incrank shaft travel, to the interval bedivided by the number ofcylinders.

ln the engine shown in the drawings, the opening and closing of thevalves take place at the theoretically correct points in the cycle.However, as in the conventional fourcycle engine, leads or lags may begiven to valve openings and closings for any purpose desired. Thus, tosecure a longer time for the entry of the compressed charge into theworking cylinder, it may be given a lead in opening (the exhaust valvebeing given a corresponding lead in closing). On the other hand, if theportion of the stroke devoted to inlet be desired to be shortened, theinlet valve may be given a lead in closing. in this case, the travel ofthe pump mgpiston after the inlet valve of the working cylinder which itsupplies has closed, acts to compress the rem ainder of the charge inthe transfer passage, to a higher degree, such excess compression goingto increase the pressure of the next following intake into the workingcylinder.

ln the'engine illustrated in the drawings, the displacement of thepumping piston is equal to that of the working piston, so that the ratioof compression of the charge equals the ratio of expansion followingco1nbustion. Should the diameter of the pumping piston be diminished,however, its displacement would be less than that of the working piston,and the ratio of compression would be less than that of expansion. Ameans is thus offered of securing, without compounding, and withoutuseless work, an expansion of the charge greater than the originalcompression.

While I have herein shown and described one particular embodiment of myinvention 1 wish it to be understood that I do not confine myself to allthe precise details of construction herein set forth by way ofillustration, as modification and variation may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of theappended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a plurality ofstep cylinders, each having a working chamber and a pumping chamber, astep piston for each of said cylinders having a section working in saidworking chamber and a section working in said pumping chamber, and meansfor conveying an explosive charge from the pumping chamber of onecylinder to the working chamber of another cylinder where such charge isto be ignited, the compression stroke of each of the pumping sectionscoinciding with the exhaust stroke of its attached working section, andthe connection between each pair of pumping and working chamberscommunicating with the latter near its outer end, so that a charge isforced from the pumping chamber of one cylinder into the working chamberof another cylinder at approximately the outer dead center of the pistonmovement and under approxi mately final pressure whereby reexpansion ofthe charge is eliminated.

2. In an internal combustion engine, the combination with a plurality ofstep cylinders each having a working chamber and a pumping chamber, eachworking chamber having a valve controlled inlet adjacent its outer endand a valve controlled outlet, each pumping chamber also having an inletand an outlet, a conduit leading from the outlet of the pumping chamberof one cylinder to the inlet of the Working chamber of another cylinder,a step piston for each cylinder having a section in the working chamberand a section in the pumping chamber, the section of the piston in oneof the pumping chambers being adapted to compress an explosive chargetherein and force the same through the conduit to the working chamber towhich the conduit leads, when the piston is at approximately the outerdead center, and thus the charge is transferred to the working chamberunder approximately final pressure and reexpansion of the contents iseliminated.

3. In an internal combustion engine having at least three stepcylinders, each cylinder having a Working chamber and a pumping chamber,each working chamber having a valve controlled inlet adjacent its outerend and a valve controlled outlet, each pumping chamber also having aninlet and an outlet, means for conducting an explosive charge into thepumping chamber of each of said cylinders, a piston operating in thepumping chamber of the first of the cylinders for compressing anexplosive charge therein and forcing the same into the working chamberof a second cylinder, a piston operating in the working chamber of thesecond cylinder and adapted to be driven when the charge is ignited inits working chamber, a piston operating in the pumping chamber of thesecond cylinder and adapted to compress an explosive charge admitted tosuch pumping chamber and force the same to a third cylinder, a pistonoperating in the working chamber of the third cylinder and adapted to bedriven When the compressed charge therein is ignited, means forsupplying an explosive charge under compression to the working chamberof the first mentioned cylinder when the crank of the piston therein isat approximately the outer dead center, a piston operating in theworking chamber of the first chamber and adapted to be driven when thecompressed charge therein is ignited, and a crank shaft to which saidpistons are connected, the pistons of each cylinder being in steprelation, and the compression stroke of each pumping pistoncoinciding'with the exhaust stroke of its connected working piston,whereby reexpansion of ti charge in a working chamber before igni i hnis eliminated.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

LEWIS MAYERS. Witnesses E. M. HAnmsoN, J. KENT.

